Off the Ball for 19 June

Above: The Wellington Axemen U85kg team that won the first round U85kg Division 1 JC Bowl, beating the Tawa Titans 29-10 in Saturday’s decider. The second round Paul Potiki Shield starts this coming weekend. Photo credit: https://www.facebook.com/WellingtonAxemen/

Off the Ball is in association with Rob Law Max , Lovelocks Sports Bar  and Harcourts Johnsonville 

Looking at some of the news in briefs, milestones, happenings, statistics and observations from the weekend of rugby just gone and what’s coming up this week.

A fortnight into the second round championship Jubilee Cup and Old Boys University, Hutt Old Boys Marist and Marist St Pat’s are the three unbeaten teams. Wins this coming Saturday will likely seal semi-final spots for these three teams. OBU and HOBM clash in a third round feature match, whilst MSP host defending champions Tawa.

+++++

A striking result for OBU against Petone in the Jubilee Cup on Saturday, with the Goats’ 72 points [72-12] a record high score in the history of this website for a Jubilee Cup match. In 380 Jubilee Cup matches going back to 2005 the 10 highest championship round scores have been:

2017 Round 2: OBU 72 – 12 Petone
2007 Round 6: MSP 69 – Wests 15
2009 Round 4: Petone 68 – Tawa 7
2007 Round 2: Norths 67 – Poneke 7
2009 Round 5: Poneke 65 – Tawa 5
2007 Round 2: HOBM 64 – Wests 0
2012 Round 6: HOBM 64 – Upper Hutt 17
2012 Round 6: Norths 59 – Petone 12
2006: Round 8: Norths 56 – Petone 17
2014: Round 2: MSP 56 – Upper Hutt Rams 20

OBU’s margin of victory on Saturday was 60 points, which is second equal in that category since the start of 2005, the top 10 being:

64 points - 2007 Round 2: HOBM 64 – Wests 0
60 points - 2017 Round 2: OBU 72 – 12 Petone
60 points - 2007 Round 2: Norths 67 – Poneke 7
60 points - 2009 Round 5: Poneke 65 – Tawa 5
54 points - 2007 Round 6: MSP 69 – Wests 15
49 points – 2010 Round 2 MSP 49 – Upper Hutt 0
47 points - 2012 Round 6: HOBM 64 – Upper Hutt 17
47 points - 2012 Round 6: Norths 59 – Petone 12
45 points – 2009 Round 3: Ories 52 – Tawa 7
45 points – 2008 Round 5: Norths 45 – OBU 0

+++++

Two hat-tricks by happy Hutt Valley hookers over the weekend. Overnight, Avalon’s Asafo Aumua crossed for three tries for the New Zealand U20s in their U20 World Championship win. Aumua’s triple strike helped them to a 64-17 win over England in the final.

Hutt Old Boys Marist hooker James O’Reilly scored a rare club rugby hat-trick by a tight forward on Saturday. Before this one, the last hat-trick by a tight forward in Wellington Swindale Shield, Jubilee Cup or Hardham Cup rugby was by lock Shahn Eru for Wainuiomata against Marist St Pat’s (in a 30-30 draw) in the fourth round of the Swindale Shield in 2014. Notably, both O’Reilly and Eru are currently contracted to the Bay of Plenty Steamers.

+++++

O’Reilly’s three tries was the sixth hat-trick by a hooker recorded since this website started in 2005. These hat-tricks have been:

• Mau Simeona: 2006 Swindale Shield, Round 11, for MSP 43 v Upper Hutt 28
• Lui Aukuso: 2007 Hardham Cup, Round 8, for Oriental-Rongotai 32 v Avalon 17
• Henry Smith: 2012 Jubilee Cup, Round 2, for Northern United 31 v Marist St Pat’s 10
• Andrew Castle: 2012 Hardham Cup, Round 7, for Poneke 56 v Rimutaka 7
• Liu Taituave: 2013 Swindale Shield, Round 2, for Marist St Pat’s 37 v Upper Hutt 16
• James O’Reilly: 2017 Jubilee Cup, Round 2, for Hutt Old Boys Marist 36 v Wainuiomata 14

+++++

Another hat-trick to Ories women’s team left wing Ayesha Leti-l’iga on Saturday in her side’s 35-5 win over Old Boys University, taking her try tally this season to 18 in six competition games played.

+++++

Changes to the top of the Best & Fairest standings, with Tawa’s Hemi Fermanis taking the outright lead on 21 points, ahead of Wainuiomata’s Ben Tupuola on 19 and Petone’s Lester Maulolo in third on 16.

+++++

The starting front row for Tawa versus Norths on Saturday  (James Coburn, Lotu Nuku and Sitiveni Paongo) was the same for the 2016 Jubilee Cup Final against MSP. On the bench and soon after half time The starting front row for the 2013 Jubilee Cup final versus Ories thundered on to the park as able super-subs (Taniela Koroi Matt Treeby and Tolu Fahamokioa).

+++++
 
Two former Tawa and NZ 7s representatives now playing in France have been back for brief visits to the Tawa Rugby Club. Nigel Hunt (now playing at Grenoble) and George Tilsley( The PNG Flash- now playing for Agen). Both have signed up for their respective French clubs for another two seasons

+++++
 
Peato (Cash) Lafaele (Norths first five-eighth on Saturday) is like a good wine gets better with age and is playing his 20th season of club rugby and with well over 200 premier matches. A true legend and gentleman of Wellington club rugby.

Polonga Pedro also came off the bench for Hutt Old Boys Marist to play his 242th Premier game on Saturday.

+++++

An injury to Wainuiomata fullback Tau Mamea on Saturday resulted in a change of field to Hutt Rec 2. Mamea was taken to hospital. The good news is he’s been cleared from any serious injury.

+++++

The crowd watching Saturday's Porirua College versus Kapiti College WelTec Premiership game certainly weren't short of entertainment. Not only was there a terrific game on the field (with Kapiti prevailing 36-33), but one enterprising person had set up shop on the bank that overlooks the ground with a pair of speakers and treated everyone to a selection of their musical tastes.

+++++

Home field advantage appears to be a big factor in clashes between Marist St Pat’s and Oriental Rongotai, with Saturday’s match (won by MSP 33-31) proving no different. Since 2012 neither team has beaten the other on their home track. In that timespan there have been two draws (one at Evans Bay and one at Polo) and three games played on neutral grounds. Ories hold a 2-1 advantage on neutral grounds in that time, but given that MSP’s one win on neutral territory was the 2012 Jubilee Cup Final at Hutt Rec they may be ok with that.

+++++

Congratulations to referee Ben O'Keeffe for winning the Official of the Year award at last week’s Sport Wellington awards. Ben is now a regular Super Rugby and World Rugby referee.

The Hurricanes won the Team of the Year award and also won the Supreme Award, the first team to win this since 2002. However, given they’re a regional team covering half the North Island, how were they eligible to win this? Coach Chris Boyd won Coach of the Year – that’s great, he’s a Wellingtonian. But is it also a stretch giving Beauden Barrett Wellington Sportsman of the Year award? If he played his club and provincial sport in Wellington like another former rugby winner also from Taranaki, Conrad Smith, then that’s fine. But Barrett’s home and provincial affiliations are to Coastal and Taranaki, not Wellington.

+++++

Polar bears can swim for 350km at a stretch and tread water for 10 straight days, the narrator informed us as we changed channels Friday night with the All Blacks up 54-0 at the time. Just a few minutes later we flicked back and it was fulltime and the All Blacks had won 78-0. The following night the British and Irish Lions took few risks in dismantling the Maori All Blacks, so the first Test this coming Saturday promises to be an absorbing affair between a clash of styles.

Congratulations to Wellington Axeman Vaea Fifita for making his international debut in this Test against Samoa on Friday night. Fifita came on early in the second half at lock.

+++++

A week to go before the British and Irish Lions hit Wellington, to play the Hurricanes and then the All Blacks. If not at the games, the best place to watch will be at Lovelocks Sports Bar on Bond St.

+++++

A relatively quiet week this week for midweek First XV and college rugby. Scots College are hosting Lindisfarne from Hawke’s Bay in their annual sports exchange on Tuesday, including a First XV rugby match. The next round of Premier 1 and 2 secondary schoolgirls rugby is this Wednesday afternoon/evening.

+++++

Expect some news early this week from the WRFU around club rugby Finals Day/Weekend plans.

Contributions to Off the Ball to editor@clubrugby.co.nz